Lyla Lindsey
Ned Kelly was an Australian bushranger and outlaw who has become a cultural icon and a symbol of Australian national identity. Born in Beveridge, Victoria, in the 1850s, Kelly became a bushranger—a person who robbed others and spent his life escaping from the police. He killed three policemen and was eventually hanged in Melbourne Gaol in 1880. Kelly's story has inspired numerous works in the arts and popular culture, including songs, poems, books, plays, and films. He is regarded by some as a Robin Hood-like folk hero and a crusader against oppression, while others see him as a murderous villain and terrorist. Kelly's legacy continues to be debated, reflecting his enduring impact on Australia's cultural consciousness.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date and place of birth | December 1854 or June 1855, Beveridge, Victoria, Australia |
| Parents | John "Red" Kelly and Ellen Quinn |
| Occupation | Bushranger, timber cutter, labourer |
| Crimes | Horse theft, assault, robbery, murder |
| Cultural impact | Folk hero, national symbol, subject of art, literature and film |
| Death | Hanged at Melbourne Gaol in 1880 |
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What You'll Learn
Ned Kelly's legacy
Ned Kelly is one of Australia's most recognised national symbols and cultural icons. In the century after his death, Kelly became a folk hero, inspiring numerous works in the arts and popular culture, and is the subject of more biographies than any other Australian. Kelly is variously considered a Robin Hood-like folk hero and crusader against oppression, and a murderous villain and terrorist.
Kelly's story taps into the Robin Hood tradition of the outlaw hero and the myth of the Australian bush as a place of freedom from oppressive authority. For many admirers of Kelly, he embodies characteristics thought to be typically Australian such as defying authority, siding with the underdog, and fighting bravely for one's beliefs. Kelly's legacy is that of a man who stood against the police persecutors of his family and was driven to outlawry when he defended his sister against a drunken constable. Kelly has been described as "good-looking, brave, a fine horseman and bushman and a crack shot, devoted to his mother and sisters, a man who treated all women with courtesy".
Kelly's exploits as a bushranger—a person who robbed others and spent his life escaping from the police—captured the imagination of the public. Some viewed him as a personification of the plight of workers set against large landowners in an economically depressed period. Kelly's gang enjoyed the support of some of the public, who saw them as standing up for the rights of the common man and against government and police corruption. Kelly's legacy is also that of a man who was driven to a life of crime by his circumstances. Kelly's father was an Irish convict transported to Australia for stealing pigs, and Kelly himself grew up in a lawless outpost, where he soon grew into a troublemaker and progressed to acts of crime.
Kelly's legacy is also that of a man who was able to turn himself into a legend. Kelly's exploits inspired songs, poems, plays, books, and newspaper and magazine articles, and he remains a compelling figure in Australian culture. Kelly's last stand, in which he donned homemade iron armour, has cemented his place in Australian history as a fearless outlaw.
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Ned Kelly's criminal record
Ned Kelly was a "bushranger"—a robber who spent his life escaping from the police. Kelly's criminal life started early. When he was 14, he was arrested for allegedly assaulting a Chinese man. In 1870, he was arrested again, this time for being a suspected accomplice of bushranger Harry Power. The assault charge was dismissed, and the accomplice charges with Power were also dropped after witnesses could not identify Kelly. Kelly was twice convicted and sentenced to prison in the 1870s, first for assault and then for receiving a stolen horse.
In April 1878, a police officer named Constable Fitzpatrick went to the Kelly home to arrest Kelly's brother, Dan Kelly, for stealing horses. Fitzpatrick was reportedly offensive to 15-year-old Kate Kelly, which outraged the Kellys, and in the fight that followed, Fitzpatrick was shot in the wrist. Fitzpatrick claimed that Ned was the shooter, but the shooter's identity was never confirmed. Warrants for the arrest of Ned and Dan Kelly were issued.
In October 1878, Ned, Dan, Joe Byrne, and Steve Hart headed for Bullock Creek, where they hoped to earn enough money to appeal to Ellen Kelly's sentence by running a whisky distillery. Shortly after their arrival, they received a warning that four policemen were planning to track them down. The gang then ambushed and killed three police officers at Stringybark Creek, Victoria. From this moment on, these four men were officially outlaws: the notorious Kelly Gang.
The Kelly Gang enjoyed the support of some of the public. Some saw them as standing up for the rights of the common man and against government and police corruption. Over the next three months, the gang robbed banks in Euroa and Jerilderie. In 1880, fed up with life on the run, the Kelly Gang organised an attack on Victorian police at the town of Glenrowan. Kelly was tried, convicted, and then executed in Melbourne on 11 November 1880.
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Ned Kelly's capture
On 27 June 1880, Ned Kelly and his gang, dressed in their distinctive homemade armour, robbed a bank in the town of Jerilderie, New South Wales. This was the latest in a series of daring crimes that had made Kelly a folk hero in the eyes of many Australians. However, his luck was about to run out.
After the Jerilderie raid, Kelly and his gang eluded capture for almost two years, moving through the bush and hiding out in the rugged Australian countryside. But by 1880, the authorities had stepped up their efforts to capture them, and the gang found themselves on the run and increasingly isolated.
Finally, in June 1880, the gang was tracked down to a hotel in the town of Glenrowan, Victoria. A massive shootout ensued, and the gang took hostages and tried to hold off the police. Despite their armour, two of the gang members were killed, and Kelly was seriously wounded. He was captured and taken into custody, bringing an end to his infamous criminal career.
Moreover, Kelly's capture and subsequent trial and execution became a media sensation. Newspapers across the country followed the story avidly, and public interest was intense. This brought about a greater sense of national unity as people from all corners of Australia were captivated by the same story. Kelly's trial also sparked debates about justice and the treatment of Irish Australians, which helped to shape Australia's political and social landscape.
In conclusion, Ned Kelly's capture was a pivotal moment in Australian history. It brought an end to a notorious criminal career, established a sense of law and order, and captured the attention of the entire nation. Through the media coverage and public interest, Kelly's capture contributed to a growing sense of national identity and unity. The impact of this iconic figure continues to resonate in Australia to this day.
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Ned Kelly's armour
Ned Kelly is a well-known figure in Australia, considered by some to be a hero and a symbol of standing up against authority, and by others to be a murderer and a terrorist. Kelly was a 'bushranger', a term for a person who robbed others and spent their life evading the police.
In 1879, Kelly and his gang—Joe Byrne, Steve Hart, and Kelly's brother Dan Kelly—devised a plan to create bulletproof armour to be worn during shootouts with the police. The suits were crafted from plough mouldboards, either donated by sympathisers or stolen from farms. The metal was heated and then beaten into shape, most likely in a bush forge, and possibly with the help of blacksmiths. The suits were successful in repelling bullets, but their weight made them difficult to wear.
The gang wore the armour during a shootout with police in June 1880, after a plan to derail and ambush a police train failed. The armour sparked fascination in Australia and internationally, with news reports of the armour causing a sensation. The suits featured in many cultural depictions, further cementing Kelly as an Australian icon.
The armour was eventually stored in Melbourne, with Kelly's suit ending up at the State Library of Victoria. In 2001, research revealed that the set believed to be Hart's was actually Kelly's. The armour is now on display in the Redmond Barry Reading Room.
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Ned Kelly's impact on Australian culture
Ned Kelly is one of Australia's most recognised national symbols and cultural icons. In the century after his death, Kelly became a cultural icon, inspiring numerous works in the arts and popular culture, and is the subject of more biographies than any other Australian. He is viewed as a Robin Hood-like figure, a "good-looking, brave, a fine horseman and bushman and a crack shot, devoted to his mother and sisters, a man who treated all women with courtesy". Kelly is also viewed as someone who "stole from the rich to give to the poor, dressed himself in his enemy's uniform to outwit him". Kelly's story taps into the Robin Hood tradition of the outlaw hero and the myth of the Australian bush as a place of freedom from oppressive authority.
Kelly is also viewed as a "cold-blooded, egotistical, and utterly self-centred criminal". He is considered a murderer, a social bandit, a revolutionary leader, and a commercial commodity. Kelly's legacy is complicated, with some Australians viewing him as a hero and others as a villain. Kelly's story is one of the most colourful, controversial, and sometimes violent chapters in Australia's history.
Kelly's impact on Australian culture is profound and lasting. He has inspired songs, poems, popular entertainment, fiction, books, and newspaper and magazine articles. He has also been the subject of numerous plays, films, and artworks. The phrase "as game as Ned Kelly" has become a part of Australian slang, describing the ultimate in bravery. Kelly's story continues to capture the imagination of Australians and people worldwide, with his legend persisting and seemingly having a compelling quality that appeals to something deeply rooted in the character of the 'average' Australian.
Kelly's impact on Australian culture is so significant because he represents a romanticised past and a protest against the increasing urbanisation and modernisation of Australia in the late 19th century. Kelly and his gang were "the last expression of the lawless frontier in what was becoming a highly organised and educated society, the last protest of the mighty bush now tethered with iron rails to Melbourne and the world". Kelly's story also taps into the Australian psyche of defying authority, siding with the underdog, and fighting bravely for one's beliefs. For many Australians, Kelly embodies characteristics thought to be typically Australian.
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Frequently asked questions
Ned Kelly is a divisive figure in Australian history. To some, he is a Robin Hood-like folk hero, a symbol of resistance against authority, and a crusader against oppression. Others view him as a murderer, a villain, and a terrorist. Kelly and his gang were responsible for the killings of several police officers and perpetuated robberies and assaults.
Ned Kelly became a cultural icon and one of Australia's most recognised national symbols. He inspired numerous works in the arts and popular culture, including songs, poems, books, films, and plays. Kelly's story taps into the myth of the Australian bush as a place of freedom from oppressive authority, and he embodies characteristics considered typically Australian, such as defying authority and siding with the underdog.
Ned Kelly and his gang were involved in a series of robberies and violent encounters with the police. After taking control of Glenrowan township, they were besieged by police and Kelly was wounded and captured, while his fellow gang members were killed. Kelly was sentenced to death by hanging.
Ned Kelly's actions sparked the biggest manhunt in Australia's history, with a 500-pound reward offered for the capture of each gang member. The police also used informants, such as Aaron Sherritt, to gather information about the gang's whereabouts and activities.
